Gay people are less healthy, happy and content than straight people, says a survey

By Beau Donelly, Identity Reporter

Updated16 July 2015 — 4:05pmfirst published at 1:52pm

Gay people are less fulfilled with their lives than straight people, have more health problems and are not as happy in their relationships, an in-depth study of Australian households suggests.

Findings contained in the annual Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey reveal a stark divide in people's experiences based on their sexual identity.

Rainbow flagCredit:AFP

The report's author, Roger Wilkins, said the life experience of gay people had parallels with people living with a long-term impairment, such as a learning difficulty, chronic pain or limited use of their limbs.

"The difference in average life satisfaction between gay, lesbian and bisexual people compared with heterosexual people is comparable in magnitude to the difference you see between people with a moderate disability and people who are not disabled," said professor Wilkins, from the University of Melbourne's Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research.

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For the first time in the study's 12-year history, respondents' sexual identity was used to compare health, economic and social outcomes for gay and straight people.

The survey quizzed 17,000 participants about their home and family life, health, education and employment. It found the 400 people who identified as gay, lesbian or bisexual reported lower levels of life satisfaction and overall wellbeing.

In detail it observed:

The HILDA report compiled responses from 12 waves of Australians between 2001 and 2012. It found males were more likely than females to report being gay (1.8 per cent compared to 1 per cent), but that females identified more often as bisexual (0.8 per cent compared to 1.3 per cent). About 1 per cent of each gender indicated they didn't know or were unsure about their sexuality, and 3 per cent of males and 3.7 per cent of females chose not to say.